Kazakhstan will conclude its chairmanship of the International Fund for
Saving the Aral Sea this year. On April 22, Astana will host a meeting of the
Council of Heads of State of the organization’s founding members. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov discussed
preparations for the event with members of the Fund’s Board. The meeting also addressed the further development of regional
cooperation in the water sector and improving the organization’s efficiency. The
importance of digitalizing water accounting and management was also
highlighted. This involves the phased introduction of a unified
automated system for accounting, monitoring, and distribution of water
resources in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins. The Prime Minister also
emphasized that Kazakhstan is focusing on developing a modern legal framework. In particular, the country supports drafting
a Central Asian Framework Convention on Water Resources.
This document should enshrine the principles of rational water use and the exchange
of hydrological information. Bektenov also recalled President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s proposal to create an International Water Organization under the UN to address
global water issues. This will attract additional resources for the
implementation of regional projects.
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